Minister of Development, Planning and Statistics H E Dr Saleh bin Mohamed Salem Al Nabit launching the documentation of Qatar Population vision for 2017-2022 during the occasion of Qatar Population Day yesterday. Pic: Baher Amin / The Peninsula
The Permanent Population Committee (PPC) yesterday launched the population policy for Qatar (2017-2022), which seeks to control the high rate of population growth and reduce the demographic imbalance under the theme of “Towards Effective Implementation of Qatar’s Population Policy 2017-2022.”
The launch came during the committee’s celebration of the 2017 Qatari Population Day, which was attended by a number of ministers and officials who represent various partners in implementing this policy to discuss the most effective ways to implement the new population policy program in all its aspects, especially with regard to population growth, labor force and urban growth.
The new population policy, which was launched after the approval of the Cabinet at its ordinary meeting No. 21 of 2017, is in line with the second National Development Strategy 2017-2022, which will be launched soon, said Minister of Development Planning and Statistics and PPC Chairman, H E Dr Saleh bin Mohamed Salem Al Nabit said. Addressing the launching ceremony, the Minister said that the new population policy is shaping the demographic profile of the future of Qatar in the light of an ambitious development agenda for the political developments in the Gulf region.
The Minister said that the new population policy focuses on addressing rapid population growth rates and its repercussions, the implications of the imbalance of the population structure, and the gradual and steady move towards a knowledge-based economy as affirmed by Qatar National Vision 2030 and development strategies, leading to the restructuring of the labour market towards more skilled and productive employment.
The Minister added that the launch of the second population policy is the result of two years of efforts aimed at a comprehensive evaluation of the first population policy and reconsidering the goals, objectives and procedures of population policy, taking into account the economic and demographic developments witnessed by Qatar during the past period.
Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of celebrating Qatar Population Day, the Minister of Development Planning and Statistics said that new population policy will give priority to address country’s demographic imbalances.
The Minister noted that the last period was a stage of economic development in which Qatar focused on the process of infrastructure and the construction sector.
The dependence during this stage was on unskilled labor, which constituted a high percentage of the labor force in the country compared to skilled labor, which has produced some kind of demographic imbalance and the new policy will address it in the coming period, along with other imbalances, including the difference between males and females, the age gap, and other things that require gradual reform that adjusts the new demographics.
The Minister underlined that the launch of the new population policy represents a milestone in the process of the Permanent Population Committee, explaining that the new policy will be more comprehensive, easier to apply and more relevant to the evolving development needs, and that the resources and investments accumulated in human capital represent the fundamental value of many societies.
He added that the accumulation of knowledge and the creation of an environment conducive to creativity, innovation and achievement is a vital issue for Qatar which may take some time, but the steps taken so far are very important.
The Minister noted that the reduction of the steady population increase was a great challenge to overcome in light of Qatar’s major shift in the path of development and seeking to achieve important development gains that require more employment. However, the minister said that the increase in population has seen a decreasing rate since the beginning of last year, making it somewhat close to the natural increase of the population.
Asr Toson, resident representative of the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) sub-regional office for GCC states, said the State of Qatar’s interest in the population issue as the center of development and its tools was translated into Qatar’s population policy 2017-2022.
In the past two years, Qatar has played a prominent regional role in pushing population issues to the forefront of development priorities at the level of the country and the Arab region, Toson said.
Toson stressed that these contributions have generated knowledge and practical experience as well as a regional and international role in the area of population and development.
